Sock into knockout round at ATP Finals

Jack Sock on Thursday continued his amazing run into and through the ATP Finals, upending world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of the year-end event, which features the Top 8 singles players and doubles teams in the world.

Sock was No. 22 in the world entering the Paris Masters, the last tournament prior to the  ATP Finals, needing to win his first-ever Masters 1000 event and get some help from other places to become the first American to qualify for the ATP Finals since Mardy Fish in 2011. 

But it all broke his way, and the Nebraska native held up his end of the bargain, capturing the biggest title of his career to jump to a career-best No. 9 in the world. (He qualified for the ATP Finals because No. 7 Stan Wawrinka had previously withdrawn.)

In the ATP Finals, in which the eight players are broken into two round-robin groups, Sock fell to Roger Federer, 6-4, 7-6, but rebounded to defeat Marin Cilic, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6, and Zverev to place second in Group Boris Becker (behind Federer). He will play Group Pete Sampras winner Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals.

“I'm playing with house money,” Sock told atpworldtour.com. “I'm going out there and letting loose, having fun, trying to put on a show a little bit, just enjoy my time.” 

Sock, however, is not the only American thriving at the O2 Arena in London. French Open doubles champion Ryan Harrison and his partner, Michael Venus of New Zealand, won their group at the ATP Doubles Finals with a 3-0 mark. Bob and Mike Bryan, currently 1-1 in round-robin play, can join them in the semis with a victory Friday over Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic.